# Member Lounge > Miscellaneous >  What is the most unenviable job to do ?

## Maciamo

What jobs you would really not want to do ? What jobs are the hardest, dirtiest, less well paid, most dangerous, most boring, soul-destroying, mind numbing, or monotonous job ?

Personally, Id say :

1) undertaker/mortician (people arranging funerals, cleaning the deads, etc.)
-well-paid, but grim, hard psychologically, and certainly not the key to a happy existence.

2) garbage collector
- badly paid, dirty, uneviable... but lots of free time.

3) assembly-line worker
- monotonous, repetitive, mind numbing, soul destroying, sometimes dirty and dangerous.

4) sandwich board (person holding ads standing for hours)
- tiring, boring, badly paid, mind numbing...

Can you think of others ?

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## Legato

Right now I work for a company that prints the booklets that go with DVD and videogames they also do the covers and boxsets. My job is to feed the machine with plastic trays for the boxsets and I sometimes do it for 12 straight hours. It's hard on the legs and the mind, really boring not to mention it's at night but on the other side I got so used to it that I can just let my mind wander in some thoughts so I get to do a lot of thinking until my brain is so dead of boredom that I just act like a machine, work with machines, become one...
Well that's one of these jobs, it gets me money though and it's only for 3 months, then back to college and also most boxsets for Lodoss and Inuyusha went though my hands among other things  :Poh:  so if you by one look for my finger print. Personaly I think the worst jobs are the ones where you interact with people all day long, it would make me suicidal.

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## Mike Cash

Vacuum car driver (the honey wagon)

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## DoctorP

> What jobs you would really not want to do ? What jobs are the hardest, dirtiest, less well paid, most dangerous, most boring, soul-destroying, mind numbing, or monotonous job ?
> 
> Personally, Id say :
> 
> 1) undertaker/mortician (people arranging funerals, cleaning the deads, etc.)
> -well-paid, but grim, hard psychologically, and certainly not the key to a happy existence.
> 
> 2) garbage collector
> - badly paid, dirty, uneviable... but lots of free time.
> ...


What makes you think that a garbage collector (as you put it) has lots of free time? They have to go to each neighborhood to collect what others don't want, then they have to empty the truck, and sometimes even sort through the trash because many people are too lazy to seperate the recyclibles from the burnable trash! I think that you might be surprised though what some people do get paid. This is just your opinion I'm sure you have never done it!

I do have to agree with #4 though. I would never do that job...unless I were desperate! Then again, I can't stand any job that leaves me in an office all day...away from nature, stuck in some little cube of a room with nothing but artificial lighting! Thank God I'm not stuck like that!

@ Mike & the honey wagon! I have a friend who never went to college, got a loan to purchase 60 port-a-johns and a truck. Today he makes over $125K/yr. Just him and his son. Thing is...sometimes there's big money doing the jobs that no one else wants to do!  :Laughing:  He has over 300 port-a-johns now and 3 trucks...he services over half of the state! Now he branched out and built 3 car washes. Last year he paid cash for a $325K house! After 5 years his car washes paid themselves off, and he nets over $500k/yr from each one!

Makes me wonder why I'm still here working as I am!  :Doubt:

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## Maciamo

> What makes you think that a garbage collector (as you put it) has lots of free time? They have to go to each neighborhood to collect what others don't want, then they have to empty the truck, and sometimes even sort through the trash because many people are too lazy to seperate the recyclibles from the burnable trash! I think that you might be surprised though what some people do get paid.


I guess it depends how densely populated the area is, but if it's in the countryside, then they only work the morning and finish at 10am or something. In most cities, people have to take their garbage outside early in the morning. If you are late, they've already passed and there is usually no other places in town where they will still take them (as they rarely work in the afternoon or evening).

The pay probably depends on the country, but where I grew up, they got less than some people on the dole (i.e. social security for unemployed people).

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## Mike Cash

> @ Mike & the honey wagon! I have a friend who never went to college, got a loan to purchase 60 port-a-johns and a truck. Today he makes over $125K/yr. Just him and his son. Thing is...sometimes there's big money doing the jobs that no one else wants to do!  He has over 300 port-a-johns now and 3 trucks...he services over half of the state! Now he branched out and built 3 car washes. Last year he paid cash for a $325K house! After 5 years his car washes paid themselves off, and he nets over $500k/yr from each one!
> 
> Makes me wonder why I'm still here working as I am!


Reminds me of hearing about a fellow in New Zealand who rigged up a large bathtub on a trailer which he pulls behind his pickup truck.

He goes around to people's homes and runs a dog washing service. I believe he was pulling in about 50 grand per year just washing dogs door-to-door.




> I guess it depends how densely populated the area is, but if it's in the countryside, then they only work the morning and finish at 10am or something. In most cities, people have to take their garbage outside early in the morning. If you are late, they've already passed and there is usually no other places in town where they will still take them (as they rarely work in the afternoon or evening).
> 
> The pay probably depends on the country, but where I grew up, they got less than some people on the dole (i.e. social security for unemployed people).


You're only taking into account *residential* garbage.

As CC1 pointed out, going to get rid of the stuff in the truck takes a bit of time. I often go by the big garbage center in Tokyo bay (they also have some storage there for empty intermodal containers), and there is a steady stream of trucks in and out of there even well into the afternoon.

Sometimes the same companies which do residential garbage in the mornings may be sending people around later in the day to work business accounts.

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## Uncle Frank

to deal with a patient in a coma. I like to have someone to talk with to make the time go faster.Usually when they reach this stage they are near death, so it's a little sad for me. It's a lot harder job to bath & clean a person who is dead-weight and can't help you at all.I've had many jobs in the past 40 years & this is right up there on the rough jobs!

Frank

 :Sou ka:

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## Maciamo

> Sometimes the same companies which do residential garbage in the mornings may be sending people around later in the day to work business accounts.


Companies ? Maybe in Japan, but in Europe I thought they were operated by the government.  :Doubt:  Anyway, I admit that it is far to be my best area of knowledge.

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## kirei_na_me

I'd say undertaker is a very difficult job. I know I couldn't do it. A friend of mine is an undertaker and I get spooked whenever he talks about how many 'bodies' he has at the funeral home, he has to get the hearse and go pick up a body, etc. 

Also, I wouldn't like being a plumber. I know they make a lot of money, but I just couldn't...

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## Mike Cash

> Companies ? Maybe in Japan, but in Europe I thought they were operated by the government.  Anyway, I admit that it is far to be my best area of knowledge.


Look closely at the next garbage truck you see. Very closely. Of course, if the next garbage truck you see is flying down the road, you should wait until you find a parked one. <smiley goes here>

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## DoctorP

> Companies ? Maybe in Japan, but in Europe I thought they were operated by the government.  Anyway, I admit that it is far to be my best area of knowledge.


I don't know Maciamo...After reading *some* of your posts, I'd say *garbage* is your area of expertise!  :Doubt:  While you tend to put some very informative posts on the board, occasionally you put something out there with little or no knowledge on the subject except what you have seen on TV, or read in an article. Meaning that you do not have 1st hand knowledge. In another thread a poster mentioned view and point of view being very important. You tend to look down your nose at blue collar workers. That is very disheartening. You mentioned honorable professions? Why are only Doctors, Lawyers, and Scientists honorable? Is it not true that the truck drivers, assembly line workers, refuse collectors actually make *all*  countries run efficiently? For example...without regular refuse pickup, the trash will either A) pile up on the curbs until the smell and the sight make you sick....or B) people will dump it illegally causing environmental problems.

Same goes for truck drivers...if they go on strike and say you want a beer. You go to the store, but OH MY GOD...they are out because the trucks didn't come because why??? *NO DRIVERS*!

I can keep going on and on listing different professions...my question still stands? What makes a profession honorable?  :Doubt:

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## Maciamo

> You mentioned honorable professions? Why are only Doctors, Lawyers, and Scientists honorable? Is it not true that the truck drivers, assembly line workers, refuse collectors actually make *all*  countries run efficiently?


If you had actually try to understand what I was saying rather than overreading quickly, you'd have realised that I expressedly mentioned that lawyer was not even among the honourable professions, and neither are politicians (I said, only some exceptional statesmen, which are few and far between), and I didn't talk about scientists at all (elmost everybody can become a scientist if they tried). 

What is more, I never talked of _all_  blue-collar workers (even in the above example undertaker and sandwich boards are not blue-collars). If you are referring to my post about the police, they aren't considered as blue-collar (i.e. manual workers) either (even if they were a blue uniform in some countries  :Poh:  ).




> Same goes for truck drivers...if they go on strike and say you want a beer. You go to the store, but OH MY GOD...they are out because the trucks didn't come because why??? *NO DRIVERS*!


Did I ever mention truck drivers ? Contrarily to you, I am very selective in my words and dont mix everything up. 




> I can keep going on and on listing different professions...my question still stands? What makes a profession honorable?


You are mixing threads up. This one is about _unenviable_  jobs, NOT _dishonourable_  jobs. Do you know the difference or do I need to explain ?

Honour is about prestige, public esteem, recognition and respect.
"Enviable" means desirable. So, even if a job is enviable (eg. airline pilot), it doesn't make it honourable automatically. I'd say less than 1% of enviable jobs are really honourable, and honour only comes with personal achievements, not with the job title itself, and certainly not with the salary.

So uneviable jobs are those one does not wish to do. But dishonorable jobs are those that stain one's reputation, respect from others, and bring contempt or fear. Typical disohonrable jobs are associated with crime (gangsters, yakuzas...), or jobs that usually have a bad reputation. 

That depends a lot on one's value, place in society and personal experiences. Some people look down on detectives, but I find them better than policemen (rarely women) who arrest or beat foreigners in a country "just for fun" (I have heard of some many cases in Europe), or give fines to people who haven't done anything, because they were "bored", or put on air because they carry a gun (priviledge in Europe, so Americans won't understand me here), or like in Japan, have the right to arrest some for 21 days without evidence and almost torture them to make them confess (see this thread). Or the corruped Mexican, Indian or Vietnamese police that give tourists and locals alike for "fines" just like that for no reason (Vietnamese just pay up and consider it as a "tax", rather than "fine").

So, yes, from what I have heard and seen about the police in so many countries, police "officers" ("yes sir, I bow before you because you have a gun and the right to arrest me") are some of the people I have the worst apprehension of (without pun intended). I also don't like taxi drivers in most countries are they are often born cheaters (although Northern European ones are usually ok). So I just never take the taxi if I can avoid it.

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## DoctorP

I mixed the threads on purpose. They do relate to one another. But as since you are the "great one" I will discontinue this discussion because you can't stand to have someone disagree with you. It is ok for you to put down the working class I guess? As for policeman not being an honorable profession? Just because you had bad experiences with some (in other countries) does not mean that all are bad! How about fireman? Is that honorable to you? Is that a unenviable job? I understand that you may not like to do it...but does that make it bad?

Enough said...I'll stay out of this thread, and refrain from replying to your posts as well! 

I apologize for mixing the threads, but to me they do relate to one another!

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## misa.j

From my experience, it is a child care worker. 
It seems like a fun and easy job, but in fact it is extremely tiring. Especially if you are passionate and involved with your job, there are many factors that can make you burned out in this profession.

Interacting and observing the children's development is very rewarding if you like them, but the low wages, no benefits, and being forced to take ridiculous amount of training after 8 hours of work are enough reasons to make me think it is unenviable.

And here is a scoop; a lot of the directers of a child care center are greedy and have two faces.

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## Duo

Hm, i would hate to have a job with a stric routine, like bus driver or metro driver, something like this. Also I couldn't deal with like sick patients so nurse and doctor are out, seeing sick people everyday, i donna if i could handle that.

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## Satori

I agree with all the jobs on Maciamo's list--that they are unenviable, that is! And someone else mentioned the job of cleaning port-a-potties. That would have to be a horrible job! Or that of sewer worker. Yuck. Another monotonous job would be that of postal worker (one of the reasons people in the U.S., anyway, end up "going postal" is due to how boring and monotonous the job is). I think any type of job that did not challenge me to grow in some way would be considered boring to me. Here's another one--that of toll booth taker! That would have to very boring as well. I can't say I would love working with anything to do with blood and guts either or cleaning bed pans. Also, I would not envy anyone who has to put their life on the line every day in their profession. No job is worth that, IMO. And I certainly wouldn't envy a sweat shop worker or a farm laborer either. I'm sure there are others, but that's all I can think of for now! Good topic, though. 

 :Smiling:

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## Maciamo

> How about fireman? Is that honorable to you? Is that a unenviable job? I understand that you may not like to do it...but does that make it bad?!


It seems that you are slowly getting my point. Firefighter is probably not an enviable job as it is dangerous (and I don't know for all countries, but in Europe it is often a "volunteer" job, meaning they don't get paid much). But risking your life for others is certainly honourable. 

As for the police, they cannot be all bad, and you'd think that they are less corrupted or less likely to "annoy" people in rich countries. However, the Japanese police stopped me 5 times to check my bicycle's ID (as if I were a thief) or my gaikokujin torokusho (as if I were a crimincal or illegal immigrant), almost everytime on the main road with lots of Japanese around me, when I was coming back from work and wearing a suit (but they of course didn't stop a single Japanese before or after me). Read this thread from post#23.

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## Satori

> Read this thread from post#23.


What an interesting thread! I just sat here and read it, start to finish. Took me forever, but it was worth it. Very interesting!!  :Smiling:

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## Gaki

Mcdonalds or any other fast food restaurant, i'd rather sleep on the street than work in fast food...  :Laughing:

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## nekosasori

My uninformed impression was that in North America, at least, because a sanitation worker (garbage collection person)'s work is so _unenviable_ they are generally paid very well by the municipal government. I'm not sure what wages are like if it's a privately owned company, like for recycling glass or diapers, etc.

Whether a job is unenviable or not depends on one's own perspective, I think. As an introvert, I would loathe to be in marketing or tech support - dealing with irate or unreasonable customers all day, especially by phone. Whereas someone who is extraverted may shudder at a more solitary profession (observing wildlife as a scientist? Being the only park ranger for many hectares?)

If I'm paid well enough I wouldn't mind any of the jobs that Maciamo listed - even for sandwich boards I'd listen to the radio and/or read books and educate myself while standing/sitting. For assembly line worker, I'd only work short hours in it, if possible... Anyway I also think that there are many interesting jobs that also don't pay well enough, which makes them less desirable to aim for.

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## Apollo

*The HATE* job category:
In Japan, there are the Kumitori trucks vacuuming up the primitive toilets.
 :Laughing:   :Laughing:  Poor people.....it must be a stinky job.

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## WyteAnjal

Manuer processor...... Ha ha  :Bluush:

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## Winter

My big sister was a mortician, and I spent a good portion of my childhood in a mortuary when she was babysitting me. Its really not that depressing of a job.

The worst part about it was the smell though. You'd think the worst smells would come during the official coroner autopsies, but the remnants of it really lingers and mixes oddly with the perservatives later on, bleh.

I hate all jobs that involve getting up before noon, and what not. I work right now as a bartendar, and while the hours are great *11 PM-3 AM* I still hate the fact that I have to get up and do it everyday.

I'm hoping I can quit normal daily work when my other careers take off, Goddess-willing.

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## Xkavar

Corporate executive. 

Do nothing but work 70 hours a week, having to live with a public image and identity your entire career, be forever on your guard from other people... ugh.

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## Satori

I just thought of another one -- prison warden. That would have to be an awful job, I imagine.  :Sou ka:

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## blessed

my opinion: teacher.
you get the work hours of a coorporate executive (from teachers ive spoken to, holidays arent really that "holidaish"), 100 times less pay and you are teaching people who couldn't care less about you, your subject area, the school you're in and generally getting educated. and this is in a good school.

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## mad pierrot

Jref forum Admin........

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## Satori

> Jref forum Admin........



 :Laughing:  Probably administrator of _any_ forum! That would be tough, I think, but maybe fun too. 
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## Maciamo

> Jref forum Admin........


Yes, we toil for your satisfaction !  :Laughing:

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## Satori

> Yes, we toil for your satisfaction !


 :Laughing:   :Laughing: 
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## DoctorP

I know I said that I wasn't going to post here anymore, but I guess I lied. I've been thinking about this one a bit and I think (in my opinion) that schoolteacher would rate pretty high on my list. Not all teachers are good, but many work way too many hours, for way too little pay. Yet they still manage to come to work with a smile? I'm not sure that I could do it  :Doubt:  ...unless I were filthy rich...then maybe I could  :Laughing:  

I just realized that blessed posted the same thing, so I guess that is two of us! 

Pretty sad when you think about it....shouldn't the people who are helping to mold our youths minds be paid better than they are?

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## NQT

Phone support line.

If it's bad on one end, it gotta be worse on the other.

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## bossel

My personal (least) favourite: lavatory attendant

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## sima_yi

being a member in forum: have to watch your back constantly

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## Satori

> being a member in forum: have to watch your back constantly


Sorry you're having to watch your back constantly, but being a forum member isn't a "job," which is what this topic is about. Too bad it isn't a job, though. Can you imagine being able to come here and post--and get paid for it to boot?! Now that would be an _enviable_ job!  :Joyful: 

But the topic is "What is your most _unenviable_ job?" Can you think of any more that we haven't already listed?

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## sima_yi

^^, well, paying with what is based on what kinda thing you want to get. If forum pays member with knowledge by allowing members to talk about all kinds of topic, that could be a good pay. a job also means professionlism, if a member takes posting seriously, he or she is considered to have a job in posting. It all depends how you view it. If you think I am stupid, no matter how smart i am, I am still stupid in your mind. And if you are going to spread false rumors about me, I would have to watch my back and report you to the admin. But please take my post lightly for I am not taking this post seriously.

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## Satori

> ^^, well, paying with what is based on what kinda thing you want to get. If forum pays member with knowledge by allowing members to talk about all kinds of topic, that could be a good pay. a job also means professionlism, if a member takes posting seriously, he or she is considered to have a job in posting. It all depends how you view it. If you think I am stupid, no matter how smart i am, I am still stupid in your mind. And if you are going to spread false rumors about me, I would have to watch my back and report you to the admin. But please take my post lightly for I am not taking this post seriously.


Hey, I think you came up with a good example -- a _non-paying_ job!!! Of course, some volunteer jobs are nice, but I think "non-paying" could cover a lot of ground in terms of other jobs that aren't so nice.

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## sima_yi

yeah....I had a non-paying job and it sucked. I was a trainnee......to draw .....for a week ......in some place called "peterbilt"

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## Anyuni_Nakashima

Working for the government and doing scientific research on bacteria. My brother does that and everytime he comes to visit he tells me how much he hates it.

Also, any type of fast food chain. I would rather be a garbage man, then be yelled at by some person, "who's complaining about how i got their order wrong."

 :Laughing:

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## Mike Cash

> yeah....I had a non-paying job and it sucked. I was a trainnee......to draw .....for a week ......in some place called "peterbilt"


At least you now know you are among the approximately 99% of the population who are not cut out to be a truck driver.

And it could have been worse....you could have been in a Freightliner.

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## sima_yi

lolz, I just found out ^^, thanks for telling me. Somehow, I feel like that College student is a job too

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## Satori

I just thought of another one. Someone who works with the cleanup of toxic waste. That would have to be an extremely hazardous job--and certainly unenviable.  :Eek2:

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